Agenda - 10-17-2017 - 8-a - Minutes

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6 1 assist in a variety of interactions with both groups. They are an integral part of the school 2 community fabric. District OCS staff periodically holds sessions with staff and SROs to 3 enhance this relationship and ensure clear understanding of roles. 4 Steve Halkiotis said he wished he had SROs when he was a principal. He said the 5 SROs have been welcomed at their schools by the parents, and he praised both systems for 6 their SRO programs. 7 Commissioner McKee said he sees SROs as having a calming effect in the schools, and 8 not as a police entity. He said when he was a student at Orange High School, there were riots, 9 and a student died. He said an SRO may have been able to deescalate such a situation. 10 Steve Halkiotis said this history is important, as the student was a young white man from 11 a rural family who ran to defend an African American Assistant Principal. He said there were 12 good people back then, and there are good people now. 13 Commissioner Marcoplos said he appreciated these perspectives on SROs. He said he 14 brought this up as it related to budgets, and wondered if funds were tight would schools rather 15 have more teacher assistants or keep the SROs. 16 Commissioner Marcoplos said the SRO program stared in the 1990s, and asked if an 17 SRO has ever fired a gun in either district. 18 OCS and CHCCS both said never. 19 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there is a reason for an SRO to carry a gun. 20 Steve Halkiotis said SROs are law enforcement. 21 Commission Marcoplos said they are also teachers. 22 Dr. Pamela Baldwin said the gun is part of their uniform, and she would not ask an 23 officer or a soldier to change their uniform, so she would not ask an SRO do that either. 24 Commissioner Marcoplos said he can understand that, and he just questioned the 25 usefulness of a displayed gun in schools. 26 Steve Halkiotis said there was an active shooter at Orange High School a few years 27 ago, and the school was fortunate to have two retired Highway Patrolmen as Drivers' Education 28 teachers. He said the Highway Patrolmen got to the shooter before the SROs did, and their 29 skill and training came in handy that day. He said mental health is a huge piece of this puzzle. 30 Rani Dasi referred to Commissioner Marcoplos question of using SRO funds for 31 teaching assistants, and said it is not such a simple trade. She said classroom support comes 32 first, and SROs are part of this picture. She said school leadership identifies the need for 33 SROs. She said the guns carried by SROs are not for the children, but rather to protect the 34 campus from possible outside threats. She said many of the schools have open campuses that 35 are not up to current safety standards. She said SROs can be a child's first introduction to this 36 kind of authority, in a safe way and positive way. She said CHCCS has greatly involved the 37 community around the issue of SROs, and created a memorandum of understanding. She said 38 data is reviewed on a regular basis, and there has been a significant decline in incidences. 39 Commissioner McKee said he is greatly impressed by the way the two districts have set 40 up the SROs program; the gun is not the focus but the person of the SRO is. 41 Commissioner Price agreed with Rani Dasi and Commissioner McKee, and said the 42 benefits of the SRO certainly outweigh the cons. 43 Matthew Roberts shared related stories. 44 Commissioner Burroughs shared some historical data on SROs in the CHCCS. She 45 said one other element is the adults, who are involved in the lives of students: teachers, as well 46 as parents, guardians, etc. She said sometimes the adults are the ones with the mental health 47 needs, which can come into the school directly and indirectly. She said the staff and SROs 48 work together closely to handle these sensitive, and often confidential situations. She said she 49 supported SROs.